Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-10-29
BUTTE,S WATER SUPPLY.

Inc question OF the purity OF the waite
now being supplied from the new works i,
the fat beyond Silver Bow Creek wal
brought to the attention OF the Council a
it's meeting yesterday evening. It was sug
gested merely-not asserted-tbat thers
was possibility OF contamination of thu
source OF supply from the proximity. as al
legged, OF the graveyard. whence sipset
through the gravel formation in which the
pumping works obtain their supply o.
water was, apparently. inevitable.
The objections stated at the meeting o.
the Council we're not assertions; merely
hintsthat, grantingsuch and such premises,
then such and such conclusions may reas.
onably be inferred. 1t may be said,
however, that after the expenditure
OF thousands Of dollars by the Sill
yer Bow Water Company. it seems
a little late now TO find these objections.
when the conditions rave been existent all
along. and when the intention OF the CON-
pany was SO long and well known before a
epadeful Of dirt was turned on the new
work. But let that pass.
To set at rest all apprehensions. real or
imaginary, it may be stated in the first
place that the bed of gravel through which
the waterworks gets it's source of supply lie
overIaid by a thick bed OF clay.
which formation, it is reasonable
and natural to suppose, extends
all over the valley. Clay, as every
one who is at all acquainted with the SUBJ
jet ia aware, is impermeable by water.
Therefore, none OF the water pumped from
the new waterworks from it's reservoir in
the valley comes from the surface ground
trench extending a hundred and fifty feet in
a sou%theasterly direction under the clay
formation % a point under the bed OF
Blacktail creek.
The cemetery isfully halfa mile, over two
thousand feet, from the new waterworks
which are not in the direction OF natural
drainage from it at all. The natural drain
age from the cemetery is to the west and
south. On the south is a deep gulch that
runs up into the foothills. With an increase
Of slope to the west in which direction all
water flowing into it runs. On
the west is q gulch that
empties into the creek between the Butte
Reduction Works and the Colorado Snel-
ter. Into either or both Of these the sur
face water from the cemetery will d not
in the least in the direction OF the water.
works.
At the Butte Reduction Works that are
more directly in the line of drainage OF the
cemetery lots than tne new waterworks, |
underground springs we're opened, the |
water Of which has been in daily |
use by over fifty persons for
two years Dr. more. and not
the least cause of iil.health has
been occasioned thereby. Were there the
foundation Of TACT in the sipage-
from-the.cemetery theory here was the
place and opportunity to have pointed
r. moral and adorEed the tale. In place Of
which, there is perfect imnu, ity from con
sumption OF water drunk there,
But supposing the water did come to the
new reservoir from drainage from the sur
lace through to the gravel bed whence it is
taken, what proportion OF t would be that1
siped through the cemetery half p
mile away coming through u close gravel
formation? Every particle OF impurity
would be completely removed in that dis
But enough has been said to show that
all apprehensions about the purity Of the
now supplied by the Silver Bow
Company are groundless. The
source of supply are natural springs, that
,rla-1:, r. lnl - - 90
The Silver Bow Water Company
IRE in no way apprehensive OF the water
they furnish being capable OF standing the
test OF the most searching analysis to
which it can be subjected.